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By Ken Love
For the Mirror
As the head superintendent at Inverness Country Club in Toledo, Ohio, Tyrone native John Zimmers is well aware of the long hours his job requires during the summer months.
This week, however, Zimmers' schedule will be even busier than usual as Inverness is hosting golf's premier team competition for women, the prestigious Solheim Cup.
This world-class event pits the best women golfers from the United States and Europe battling for victory in a format similar to the men's Ryder Cup matches.
For Zimmers, the competition will be an opportunity to showcase the golf course and the accomplishments of his grounds crew which has worked tirelessly over the past few months to get Inverness in championship condition.
"The course is in fantastic shape," Zimmers said. "Our crew has been very busy in recent days helping to set up tournament equipment. They've also been working on all the little details like edging, divots and bunkers."
Over the past three decades, the 50-year-old Zimmers has achieved quite a resume in the golf industry while cementing a reputation as one of the finest course superintendents in the country.
Zimmers' career started on the grounds crew of Wilmington Country Club and quickly progressed as he gained experience while also earning a turf management degree from Rutgers.
After serving as an assistant at some big-time courses under legendary superintendent Paul Latshaw, Zimmers got his big break when Sand Ridge Country Club in Ohio hired him as its superintendent.
Shortly thereafter, he landed the superintendent position at Oakmont Country Club at the amazing age of 28.
Over the next 18 years, Zimmers oversaw course conditions at the historic Pittsburgh-area course as it hosted two U.S. Opens, a Women's Open and a U.S. Amateur championship.
At each turn, Zimmers' course work received high praise. By 2017, Zimmers was looking for a new challenge and eventually accepted the position as head superintendent at Inverness, a club with a rich history that included four U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships.
At the time, Inverness was looking for a superintendent who could handle the work involved in their ambitious plans.
"In 2017, Inverness was in the early stages of a major renovation project," Zimmers said. "Their master plan involved altering greens, tees and bunkers to restore the course to its original 1920s' Donald Ross design."
Plans for the project were finalized by renowned course architect Andrew Green, who worked closely with Zimmers to complete the project by 2019. The re-designed course opened to rave reviews at the time and has restored Inverness Country Club to the top echelon of American golf courses.
Inverness' rebirth will be on full display this weekend as the finest women golfers in the world battle it out for one of sport's biggest prizes, the Solheim Cup.
While Zimmers may be behind the scenes during the event, his hard work in preparing the Inverness course will be undeniable. All this confirms the decision Zimmers made in coming to Inverness four years ago.
"This is such a special place," he said. "From the moment we arrived, the entire membership has treated (wife) Tracey and I like family. I'm really excited by what we've accomplished so far and am looking forward to the future here at Inverness."